OUR AMERICAN COMRADES.

White Ribbon, Volume 27, Issue 320, 18 February 1922, Page 4

OUR AMERICAN COMRADES.

The following arc extract* from a highly interesting letter just received from Miss Anna Gordon, World’s VitJUresident: JAI »A N t-->K COM HADES. Madame Yajima’s visit to America is attracting world wide attention, and everywhere receiving remarkable and most helpful publicity. Her first desire in coming to us was that she might pray with the women of America for a successful outcome of the Washington Conference. With this remarkable woman ;is a central figure, the groups of women in missionary, tempentnce, relief, industrial and peace activities in cities she has visited have been drawn closely together, while men in church, business and professional life have paid her and the women of her empire and of the w’orld a w’ell deserved tribute The. expression of supreme content on Madame Yajima’s smiling face as she placed in President Harding’s hands the petition of Japanese women she had brought from Tokyo was good to see. The climax of her long journey from her far away home had been reached. She had crossed a wide ocean and a mighty continent on her mission of peace. At last she stood face to face with the President of the United States. Madame Yajima is the embodiment of serenity and peace. Strong in faith and aggressive aga’nst all forms of evil, she yet meets each situation with a calmness and confidence reminding us that “the work of righteousness shall be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever.” CONFERENCE WITH JAPANESE LEADERS. While in Washington I had a memorable morning’s conference with our ninety-year-old veteran W.C.T.P. leader and distinguished educator from Japan, Madame Yajima, for thirty-five years President of the National W.C.T.U. of Japan. W T ith us were Madame Chika Kozaki and Madame Yajima’s Secretary. Muss Azuma Moriya. Miss Tomi Wada, now' at John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. and later to continue scientific study in Columbia University, was a fourth nu mber of our conf rence group and our interpreter.

The conclusions we reached concerning present-day opportunities and obligations in Japan and in all Asia will, I believe, lead to important extension of our activities, and to a greater unity of faith and purpose among women in the countries of the Orient. These four friends from Japan generously announced they wished to give one hundred dollars to the World's W.C.T.U. in memory of Carlisle, in recognition of their visit to the United States and the Washington Conference, and to sig nalise the election of Mrs Kozaki to the Presidency of the W.C.T.U. of Japan. THE CONFERENCE ON LIMITATION OF ARMAMENT. The background of the sacred, solemn <lay at Arlington Cemetery, this day with its Pentecost for peace, must powerfully affect the final decisions of the Conference. What could be more suggestive of the truth that side by sioe the father and mother heart of the world must work for peace and purity, protection and prosperity, than the building se'ected for the open meetings of this eventful Conference, the handsome building designed by women as the home of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Memorial Hall, white in its dignified simplicity, with two paintings in oil, those of George and Martha Washington, the only decorations outside the flags of the nations and the insignia of our fortyeight States. It is also a cause of pride that four women are members of the Advisory Board of the United States delegation. There is no need that I dwell on the surprises of the Conference, or on the advancement sure to be made toward the goal of international goodwill—that understanding between the nations w’hich eventually shall bring w’orld peace and do away with armaments on sea and on land, in sky above, and ocean beneath. We must keep on praying devoutly and hammering away stoutly to help bring that glad day. To a peace based on economic considerations must be added a peace that can come only when the Christ spirit is regnant in the heaarts of all peoples of all the world. Frances E. Willard well said, “Only the Golden Rule of Christ can bring the Golden Age of man.”

NOVEMBER 11th ILLUMINATION. Another background to the delibera tion of these diplomats and military strategists gathered in Washington, and one that must have had great psychological value, was the illumination of our capital city on the night of November 11th and on two succeeding evenings. Enormous ribbons of light, like a wide-spread Aurora Borealis, streamed up toward the zenith, outlining in wonderful colours the entire white Capitol building of our great Republic. For a few minutes these lights would be red, then white, then blue, then red, white and blue in successive lines. At times rainbow colours would appear. From its high vantage position on the Washington landscape our Capitol shone out. and the auroral lights be hind it led us to pray: “Lead, Kindly Light.” At the opposite end of the has teas city the same vivid colours of light and glory outlined the noble Washington monument; while just be yond the building whore the Conference meets, a jewelled arch of marvellous brilliancy and beauty spanned the wide avenue displaying as its crowning mas terprieee the interwoven flags of all the nations.